Help! I'm just an extra yet the Heroines and Villainesses want me!-Chapter 50

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William breathed slightly heavily as he stared at her from a distance. "You’re drunk. You don’t even mean what you’re doing right now."

Hearing this, Seraphina’s flushed face became sullen as she pouted her lips.

"I’m not!" She replied with anger as she stared at William, her crimson eyes were unfocused but carried genuine frustration.

William couldn’t do anything but sigh as he slowly made his way toward the door. This was getting too complicated, and staying here while she was drunk would only make things worse tomorrow. He reached for the handle.

A system notification suddenly chimed in his ear.

[Catastrophic Allure will activate upon leaving]

William froze mid-step. ’Eh? Ehhhh?!!!’

His system actually wanted him to stay? It was warning him that leaving right now would trigger something worse than just dealing with a drunk Seraphina confessing things she probably didn’t mean.

He turned back slowly and found Seraphina walking toward him with unbalanced steps because of how drunk she was. She nearly stumbled twice before reaching him but William instinctively reached out to steady her by the shoulders.

"Why can’t you see that I love you?" Seraphina asked, her face flushing red immensely as she looked up at him with watery eyes. "I’ve tried everything I could to show you but you can’t take a simple clue, stupid William!"

William felt stunned. Completely and utterly stunned.

He’d always assumed that any feelings these girls developed toward him were purely because of the curse the system placed on him. The system had made it seem like everything was artificial, like a manipulated attraction that had nothing to do with who he actually was as a person. It was easier and simpler that way. It meant he didn’t have to think about whether they actually cared about him or were just victims of some cosmic joke he’d been cursed with.

But the system notification had specifically said the skill would activate if he left. That was a past tense. Not active. Which meant right now, in this moment, the curse wasn’t influencing her at all.

Seraphina was drunk, yes. But drunk people told the truth more often than sober ones did. And if the curse wasn’t active right now, then everything she was saying came from her, not from some supernatural compulsion forcing her to feel things she didn’t actually feel.

William stood there holding her steady while his brain tried to process that realization.

These girls might actually care about him. Not because of the curse. Not because of some system manipulation. But because of the person he’d been around them over the past few months. The training sessions, the conversations, the small moments that had seemed insignificant at the time.

If that was the case, then maybe he had been approaching this entire situation wrongly.

He had been treating them like obstacles to avoid or problems to manage. People he needed to keep at arm’s length to prevent the curse from making everything worse. But what if he didn’t have to do that? What if he could actually let them get close without assuming everything was artificial?

It would be better for everyone, wouldn’t it? They’d be happier if he stopped treating their feelings like inconveniences. He would probably be less stressed if he wasn’t constantly trying to avoid half the people he interacted with. It was a win-win situation.

Of course, he still saw the practical benefits. The system had made it clear that developing relationships with these girls would make him stronger. That hadn’t changed. But maybe it didn’t have to be purely transactional. Maybe he could make them happy and gain strength and actually enjoy the process instead of treating it like some burden he had to carry alone.

Seraphina was still staring at him, waiting for some kind of response to her confession. Her eyes were glassy from alcohol and emotion she was feeling, and she looked more vulnerable than William had ever seen her. The silver-haired combat prodigy who scared most people just by existing was standing in front of him looking like she might cry if he said the wrong thing.

"How long?" William asked quietly.

"What?" Seraphina blinked in confusion.

"How long have you felt this way?"

Seraphina’s face somehow turned even redder. She looked away, focusing on a spot somewhere past William’s shoulder. "Since... since the first tournament. When you fought Liam. You lost, obviously, because Liam is Liam, but you didn’t give up even when it was clear you couldn’t win. You kept fighting until you physically couldn’t anymore."

She paused, swaying slightly, and William tightened his grip on her shoulders to keep her steady.

"Most people quit when things get hard," Seraphina continued, her words slightly slurred but coherent enough. "They make excuses or they blame others or they just stop trying. But you didn’t. You got back up every single time, even when everyone watching knew you were going to lose. That’s... that’s not something you see often."

William didn’t know what to say to that. He had fought Liam like that because giving up mid-match would have been embarrassing, not because of some noble determination to never quit. But apparently, Seraphina had seen something else in it entirely.

"And then you kept training," Seraphina said, her eyes drifting back to his face. "You didn’t sulk about losing or make excuses about not being good enough yet. You just worked harder. Every single day I would see you at the training grounds, getting better bit by bit, and I thought... I thought that was amazing."

Her voice got quieter. "I wanted to help. I wanted to be part of that. So I started training with you, and you never treated me like I was doing you some big favor. You just accepted it and worked with me like we were equals, even though I’m obviously way stronger than you."

"Obviously," William said dryly.

Seraphina smiled at that with a genuine expression that looked nothing like her usual confident smirk. "But you never acted intimidated. You never got weird about it or tried to prove something. You just trained and got better and... and I liked being around you. I liked that you didn’t treat me like some untouchable combat prodigy or like I was scary or whatever else people usually think."

She reached up and grabbed the front of his shirt with both hands, holding on like she needed the support to stay upright. "I liked that you saw me as just Seraphina. Not the Ashenheart heir or the second-ranked student or any of that other stuff. Just... me."

William looked down at her and felt something shift in his chest. The way she was looking at him wasn’t manipulated or forced. It was genuine and real. The kind of expression someone had when they were being completely honest about something that mattered to them.

"I don’t know what to do with that," William admitted.

"You don’t have to do anything right now," Seraphina said, her grip on his shirt loosening slightly. "I just... I wanted you to know. I’m tired of pretending I don’t feel this way. And I’m tired of waiting for you to figure it out on your own. So there. Now you know."

She let go of his shirt and took a step back, swaying dangerously. William caught her before she could fall and guided her toward the bed.

"You should sleep," he said.

"Don’t wanna sleep. Wanna talk more." But even as she said it, her eyes were already closing. The alcohol and emotional exhaustion were finally catching up with her.

William helped her sit on the bed, then gently pushed her shoulders until she was lying down properly. He pulled the blanket over her and stepped back.

Seraphina’s eyes fluttered open one more time. "William?"

"Yeah?"

"Don’t... don’t forget what I said, okay? When I’m sober tomorrow and probably mortally embarrassed, don’t pretend this didn’t happen."

"I won’t," William said.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Seraphina smiled, satisfied, and her eyes closed again. Within seconds her breathing had evened out into the steady rhythm of sleep.

William stood there for a moment longer, looking at her peaceful expression and thinking about everything she’d said. Then he turned and left the room quietly, pulling the door closed behind him with a soft click.

He reached his room and found Kai still awake, still reading at his desk like he’d never moved.

"How was dinner?" Kai asked without looking up.

"Troublesome," William said while heading straight for his bed.

"Sounds about right for you."

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The next morning arrived with pale sunlight filtering through the window and William’s alarm dragging him out of sleep that had been less restful than he’d hoped. He lay there for a moment, remembering what happened last night.

Kai was already gone, his bed made and his desk organized. William got up and went through his morning routine, trying to decide how he was going to handle seeing Seraphina today. She would probably be mortally embarrassed like she’d predicted, and he had promised not to pretend the conversation hadn’t happened.

That was going to be awkward.

He dressed and headed out, stopping by the dining hall for a quick breakfast before his first class. The morning was cool and clear, students moving between buildings with the usual pre-class energy. William grabbed food and found a quiet corner to eat while reviewing his notes for Magical Theory.

"Excuse me."

William looked up and found a girl standing next to his table. She was tall,maybe five ten, with long black hair that fell in perfectly straight lines past her shoulders. Her eyes were a striking pale blue that looked almost silver in certain light, and her features were sharp and aristocratic in a way that suggested noble breeding.

She wore the academy uniform but it was tailored to fit her perfectly, expensive-looking in ways the standard issue definitely wasn’t. Everything about her presentation screamed wealth and status, from the way she held herself to the subtle jewelry she wore.

William had never seen her before in his life.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

"You’re William Cross, correct?" Her voice was smooth and controlled, with a slight accent William couldn’t quite place. "From House Ascendant. Third-ranked in the Inter-House Competition."

"That’s me."

"Excellent." She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. "My name is Victoria Lumen. I’m a second-year student from House Luminara. I’ve been meaning to introduce myself for some time now."

William waited for her to continue, but she just stood there looking at him with a polite smile that felt more like a mask than a genuine expression.

"Is there something you need?" William asked eventually.

"I wanted to extend an invitation," Victoria said. "House Luminara is hosting a small gathering this weekend for students interested in advanced magical theory discussions. Your performance in the recent competition suggests you might benefit from attending."

That was possibly the most condescending invitation William had ever received. The implication that he needed to "benefit" from their advanced discussions was clear enough.

"I’ll think about it," William said neutrally.

"Please do." Victoria’s smile widened slightly. "I think you’ll find the company... educational. We have several upperclassmen who would be happy to share their insights with promising younger students like yourself."

There was something about the way she said "promising" that felt more like an insult than a compliment. William couldn’t quite pin down what it was—maybe it was the tone or the expression, maybe it was just the general condescending energy she radiated

—but it set him on edge.

"I appreciate the invitation," William said, keeping his voice polite despite the growing irritation. "But I’m fairly busy with Inter-Academy training right now."

"Of course. The Inter-Academy team." Victoria’s pale blue eyes studied him with an intensity that felt uncomfortable. "That must be quite demanding. Training with students like Liam Hemsworth and Seraphina Ashenheart every day. I imagine it’s... challenging... for someone at your level."

Definitely an insult that time. There was no ambiguity at all.

"It’s fine," William said flatly.

"I’m sure it is." Victoria’s smile remained fixed in place. "Well, if you change your mind about the gathering, do let me know. I’ll be sure to save you a seat."

She turned and walked away before William could respond, her movements graceful and controlled in a way that looked practiced. William watched her go and felt the distinct impression that he’d just been evaluated for something and found wanting.

What was that about?

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I’m fully better now thank you for asking! Sorry about the lack of Chapters major events are popping up and I’m trying my best to put them in place to give you the best entertainment possible! Enjoy!

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